T IS A TIME OF INCREASED AWARENESS. We've seen fuel prices in a constant state of fluctuation over the past few years, and it has caused us to seek ways to get the most for our gasoline dollar. At times, prices have climbed high enough to cause many people to alter their driving habits, including the cancellation of vacations and long road trips. All of this has served to make Americans much more aware of our nation's dependence on foreign oil. Now is also a time of renewed patriotism and desire to "buy American." How can using AMSOIL synthetic lubricants increase fuel economy and help decrease dependence on imported oil?

Refined petroleum-based lubricants are composed of irregular shaped molecules of various sizes. As the molecules slip across each other, they create friction which adversely affects both wear protection and fuel economy. AMSOIL synthetic lubricants, on the other hand, contain only smooth, uniform molecules which easily slip across each other, effectively keeping friction to a minimum. This allows fuel to be diverted from the task of overcoming friction, to reaching the drivetrain, decreasing overall fuel consumption.

Conventional lubricants are also very susceptible to volatility. When their lighter molecules "boil off" during hot operating conditions, the oil becomes thick and more difficult to pump, consuming more energy and reducing fuel economy. Because AMSOIL synthetic lubricants contain uniformly sized molecules, they lose very little to volatility and keep fuel economy high.

AMSOIL synthetic motor oils, gear lubes, and drivetrain fluids consistently yield increases in fuel conomy. Industry tests demonstrate that an average passenger car can conservatively decrease its fuel consumption by 2 to 5 percent by switching to synthetic lubricants, while independent testing shows that trucks can decrease fuel consumption by as much as 8.2 percent. Many AMSOIL customers report even larger gains in fuel economy. If all cars in America used AMSOIL synthetic motor oil, gear lubes and drive train fluids, we would save enough fuel to drive to the sun and back 165 to 420 times over.*

Based on 1998 Domestic Fuel Consumption data, American cars consume 72 billion gallons of gasoline per year. If all these vehicles switched to AMSOIL synthetic lubricants and gained a modest 5 percent increase in fuel economy, America would save a staggering 3.66 billion gallons of fuel. That's enough fuel to drive to the moon and back 163,000 times, and enough to drive to the sun and back 420 times.

By taking advantage of the extended drain intervals afforded by AMSOIL synthetic lubricants, oil usage is also significantly reduced. People can reduce the amount of oil they use by as much as 80 percent by switching to AMSOIL.

*Based on U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the U.S: 2000 No. 1049, Domestic Motor Fuel Consumption by Type of Vehicle